After placing a TrackBar control on a form or other container, by default, its assumes a horizontal position. The position of the track bar is controlled by Orientation property implemented through the Orientation enumeration that has two members. To change the direction of the control, on the Properties window, set the Orientation property to the desired value. For example, to make it vertical, change the field from Horizontal to Vertical. To change this property at runtime, assign the desired value to the property. Here is an example:

void InitializeComponent()
{
    tbrSlider = gcnew TrackBar;
    tbrSlider->Location = Point(12, 12);

    tbrSlider->Orientation = Orientation::Vertical;

    Controls->Add(tbrSlider);
}

This would produce:

The dimensions of the track bars we have displayed so far don't appear practical. This is because we were using the default values. Like every control, the track bar has default dimensions and like many controls, these default values are usually not suitable. This means that every time you create a track bar, make sure you specify either its Size property or its Width and its Height properties. Here is an example:

void InitializeComponent()
{
    tbrSlider = gcnew TrackBar;
    tbrSlider->Location = Point(12, 12);
    tbrSlider->Width = 180;

    Controls->Add(tbrSlider);
}

This would produce:

1. Design the form as follows:
    

   Control Text Name Additional Properties GroupBox Car Description     Label Make:     TextBox Honda txtMake   Label Model:     TextBox   txtModel   Label Year:     TextBox   txtYear TextAlign: Right Label Price:     TextBox   txtPrice TextAlign: Right PictureBox   pbxCarImage SizeMode: CenterImage TrackBar   tbrImages Orientation: Vertical TrackBar   tbrReview   Button Close btnClose

2. Execute the application to test the form
3. Close the form and return to your programming environment

As mentioned already, to use the track bar, the user must change the position of the thumb. To change this position, the user can drag the thumb, click the slider line, press one of the arrow keys, or press the Page Up or Page Down keys. As the user drags the thumb, the control fires a Scroll event. This event is of type EventArgs. Because this is the default event of the control, to generate its skeleton code, you can double-click the track bar on the control

When the user drags the thumb, the control holds a new value known as the Value property. You also can assign a value to this property to change the position of the thumb. The value of the Value property must be an integer. After the user has changed it, to know the value of the track bar, you can access its Value property. Here is an example:

void InitializeComponent()
{
        tbrSlider = gcnew TrackBar;
        tbrSlider->Location = Point(12, 12);
        tbrSlider->Width = 180;

        tbrSlider->Value = 6;

        Controls->Add(tbrSlider);
}

This would produce:

1. On the form, double-click the bottom track bar
2. Return to the form and double-click the right track bar
3. Return to the form

However the user moves the thumb, it must assume a value between the limits allowed on the control. The Minimum property is the lowest value that the thumb can assume within the track. The Maximum value controls the opposite. The user is allowed to slide only between these two values. These two properties are set in the Properties window using their respective fields. By default, the minimum value is set to 0 and the maximum is 10. To change the minimum or maximum values programmatically, assign the desired value to the appropriate property. Here is an example:

void InitializeComponent()
{
        tbrSlider = gcnew TrackBar;
        tbrSlider->Location = Point(12, 12);
        tbrSlider->Width = 480;

        tbrSlider->Minimum = 8;
        tbrSlider->Maximum = 140;

        tbrSlider->Value = 86;

        Controls->Add(tbrSlider);
}

This would produce:

You can also set the minimum and the maximum values by calling the TrackBar.SetRange() member function. Its syntax is:

public:
    void SetRange(int minimum, int maximum);

The first argument is the same as the Minimum property and the second argument is the same as the Maximum property. Here is an example:

void InitializeComponent()
{
        tbrSlider = gcnew TrackBar;
        tbrSlider->Location = Point(12, 12);
        tbrSlider->Width = 480;

        tbrSlider->SetRange(8, 140);

        tbrSlider->Value = 86;

        Controls->Add(tbrSlider);
}

Always make sure that the minimum value is lower than the maximum. This safe measure will allow you to better control the current value of the control. At design time, if you set the Minimum property to a value higher than that of the Maximum, for example setting Minimum to 66 while Maximum=10, the value of the Maximum would be set to that of the Minimum. In this case, both properties would have the same value. This makes the control unusable: if the Minimum and the Maximum properties hold the same values, the user cannot move the thumb. In the same way, at run time, avoid assigning unpractical values to these properties.

A track bar is equipped with small bars “|” that serve as indicators of the position occupied by the thumb. These bars are called ticks. The ticks are positioned at same distances from each other. The number of ticks available on a track bar, or the number of ticks you can see, depend on the difference between the Minimum and the Maximum values The higher the Maximum - Minimum difference, the more ticks available. The lower this value, the fewer the ticks but this should not be the reason you use a lower Minimum or a higher Maximum.

If the difference between the Maximum and the Minimum properties causes the control to display too many ticks. Consider the following example:

void InitializeComponent()
{
        tbrSlider = gcnew TrackBar;
        tbrSlider->Location = Point(12, 12);
        tbrSlider->Width = 400;
        tbrSlider->SetRange(8, 255);
        tbrSlider->Value = 125;

        Controls->Add(tbrSlider);
}

When this happens, you can reduce the number of ticks. This is done using the TickFrequency property. Here is an example:

void InitializeComponent()
{
        tbrSlider = gcnew TrackBar;
        tbrSlider->Location = Point(12, 12);
        tbrSlider->Width = 400;
        tbrSlider->SetRange(8, 255);
        tbrSlider->Value = 125;

        tbrSlider->TickFrequency = 10;

        Controls->Add(tbrSlider);
}

This would produce:

The thumb’s visual display appears as a small standing pentagon with two straight borders. Its appearance is set using the TickStyle property which is based on the TickStyle enumeration. When you add a new TrackBar control to a form, it is horizontally oriented, the thumb points down, the tick marks are positioned under the sliding field. In this setting, the TickStyle property is set to BottomRight. To place the tick marks above the sliding field, change the value of the TickStyle property to TopLeft; this also has the effect of reversing the direction of the slider. Here is an example:

void InitializeComponent()
{
        tbrSlider = gcnew TrackBar;
        tbrSlider->Location = Point(12, 12);
        tbrSlider->Width = 400;
        tbrSlider->SetRange(8, 255);
        tbrSlider->Value = 125;
        tbrSlider->TickFrequency = 10;

        tbrSlider->TickStyle = TickStyle::TopLeft;

        Controls->Add(tbrSlider);
}

This would produce:

As a third option, you can have the tick marks on both sides of the slider. To get this, set the TickStyle property to Both. With this value, the thumb becomes a small rectangle (changing from its pentagon shape):

1. On the form, click the right track bar
2. In the Properties window, click TickStyle and select Both from its combo box
3. On the form, click the bottom track bar
4. In the Properties window, click TickStyle and select TopLeft from its combo box
    
   

When the user presses one of the arrow keys, the thumb moves by one tick. This unit is known as the SmallChange property. If you want the thumb to move by more than one tick, you can assign the desired value to this property. Alternatively, you can calculate a fraction of the difference between the Minimum and the Maximum values then use it as the SmallChange.

When the user presses either the Page Up (PgUp) or the Page Down (PgDn) keys, the thumb moves by a value represented by the LargeChange property. If the default value of this property is not convenient for your application, you can change it to a new desired value or you can use a fraction of the difference between the Minimum and the Maximum properties then use it as the LargeChange.

1. Double-click an unoccupied of the form
2. Return to the form and double-click the Close button
3. Change the file as follows:
   

   System::Void tbrReview_Scroll(System::Object^  sender, System::EventArgs^  e)
   {
   	// Get the index of the current value of the track bar
       ReviewPosition = tbrReview->Value;
   
       // Based on the current index, retrieve the values of the
       // current car and assign each to the corresponding control 
       txtMake->Text = Cars[ReviewPosition]->Make;
       txtModel->Text = Cars[ReviewPosition]->Model;
       txtYear->Text = Cars[ReviewPosition]->Year.ToString();
       txtPrice->Text = Cars[ReviewPosition]->Price.ToString();
       pbxCarImage->Image = Image::FromFile(Cars[ReviewPosition]->Picture);
   
       // To make the right track bar aware of the number
       // of pictures of each car, set its maximum property
       // according to the number of pictures (- 1)
       switch (ReviewPosition)
       {
           case 0:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 8;
               break;
           case 1:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 5;
               break;
           case 2:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 3;
               break;
           case 3:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 0;
               break;
           case 4:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 3;
               break;
           case 5:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 3;
               break;
           case 6:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 3;
               break;
           case 7:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 0;
               break;
           case 8:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 0;
               break;
           case 9:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 0;
               break;
           case 10:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 3;
               break;
           case 11:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 4;
               break;
           case 12:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 0;
               break;
           case 13:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 7;
               break;
           case 14:
               tbrImages->Maximum = 1;
               break;
           default:
               break;
       }
   
       tbrImages->Value = 0;
   }
   
   System::Void tbrImages_Scroll(System::Object^  sender, System::EventArgs^  e)
   {
   	// Check the position of the bottom track bar
       // Then, use the value of the right track bar
       // to locate the right picture
       switch (ReviewPosition)
       {
           case 0:
               pbxCarImage->Image = Image::FromFile(pictures0[tbrImages->Value]);
               break;
           case 1:
               pbxCarImage->Image = Image::FromFile(pictures1[tbrImages->Value]);
               break;
           case 2:
               pbxCarImage->Image = Image::FromFile(pictures2[tbrImages->Value]);
               break;
           case 4:
               pbxCarImage->Image = Image::FromFile(pictures4[tbrImages->Value]);
               break;
           case 5:
               pbxCarImage->Image = Image::FromFile(pictures5[tbrImages->Value]);
               break;
           case 6:
               pbxCarImage->Image = Image::FromFile(pictures6[tbrImages->Value]);
               break;
           case 10:
               pbxCarImage->Image = Image::FromFile(pictures10[tbrImages->Value]);
               break;
           case 11:
               pbxCarImage->Image = Image::FromFile(pictures11[tbrImages->Value]);
               break;
           case 13:
               pbxCarImage->Image = Image::FromFile(pictures13[tbrImages->Value]);
               break;
           case 14:
               pbxCarImage->Image = Image::FromFile(pictures14[tbrImages->Value]);
               break;
           default:
               break;
       }
   }
   
   System::Void Form1_Load(System::Object^  sender, System::EventArgs^  e)
   {
       Cars = gcnew array<CCar ^>(15);
   			 
       pictures1  = gcnew array<String ^>(5);
       pictures2  = gcnew array<String ^>(3);
       pictures4  = gcnew array<String ^>(3);
       pictures5  = gcnew array<String ^>(3);
       pictures6  = gcnew array<String ^>(3);
       pictures10 = gcnew array<String ^>(3);
       pictures11 = gcnew array<String ^>(4);
       pictures13 = gcnew array<String ^>(7);
       pictures14 = gcnew array<String ^>(2);
   
       // Create the list of cars
       Cars[0] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[0]->Make = "BMW";
       Cars[0]->Model = "335i";
       Cars[0]->Year = 2007;
       Cars[0]->Price = 42580;
       Cars[0]->Picture = "335iA.gif";
   
       Cars[1] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[1]->Make = "Honda";
       Cars[1]->Model = "Accord";
       Cars[1]->Year = 2007;
       Cars[1]->Price = 24550;
       Cars[1]->Picture = "Accord1.gif";
   
       Cars[2] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[2]->Make = "Chevrolet";
       Cars[2]->Model = "Avalanche";
       Cars[2]->Year = 2007;
       Cars[2]->Price = 36880;
       Cars[2]->Picture = "Avalanche1.gif";
   
       Cars[3] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[3]->Make = "Volvo";
       Cars[3]->Model = "C70";
       Cars[3]->Year = 1997;
       Cars[3]->Price = 42320;
       Cars[3]->Picture = "C70.gif";
   
       Cars[4] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[4]->Make = "Land Rover";
       Cars[4]->Model = "LR3";
       Cars[4]->Year = 2007;
       Cars[4]->Price = 46245;
       Cars[4]->Picture = "LR3a.gif";
   
       Cars[5] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[5]->Make = "Honda";
       Cars[5]->Model = "Civic";
       Cars[5]->Year = 2000;
       Cars[5]->Price = 22665;
       Cars[5]->Picture = "Civic1.gif";
   
       Cars[6] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[6]->Make = "Mazda";
       Cars[6]->Model = "Mazda5";
       Cars[6]->Year = 2007;
       Cars[6]->Price = 20845;
       Cars[6]->Picture = "Mazda5a.gif";
   
       Cars[7] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[7]->Make = "Ford";
       Cars[7]->Model = "Escape";
       Cars[7]->Year = 1997;
       Cars[7]->Price = 22445;
       Cars[7]->Picture = "Escape.gif";
   
       Cars[8] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[8]->Make = "Acura";
       Cars[8]->Model = "TSX";
       Cars[8]->Year = 2006;
       Cars[8]->Price = 26445;
       Cars[8]->Picture = "TSX.gif";
   
       Cars[9] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[9]->Make = "Mazda";
       Cars[9]->Model = "Miata";
       Cars[9]->Year = 2008;
       Cars[9]->Price = 24180;
       Cars[9]->Picture = "Miata.gif";
   
       Cars[10] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[10]->Make = "Ford";
       Cars[10]->Model = "F-150";
       Cars[10]->Year = 2006;
       Cars[10]->Price = 20475;
       Cars[10]->Picture = "F150a.gif";
   
       Cars[11] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[11]->Make = "Volvo";
       Cars[11]->Model = "S40";
       Cars[11]->Year = 2008;
       Cars[11]->Price = 25285;
       Cars[11]->Picture = "S40a.gif";
   
       Cars[12] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[12]->Make = "BMW";
       Cars[12]->Model = "750i";
       Cars[12]->Year = 2007;
       Cars[12]->Price = 88925;
       Cars[12]->Picture = "750Li.gif";
   
       Cars[13] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[13]->Make = "Buick";
       Cars[13]->Model = "LaCrosse";
       Cars[13]->Year = 2002;
       Cars[13]->Price = 28685;
       Cars[13]->Picture = "LaCrosse1.gif";
   
       Cars[14] = gcnew CCar;
       Cars[14]->Make = "Ford";
       Cars[14]->Model = "E-150 XL";
       Cars[14]->Year = 2002;
       Cars[14]->Price = 26660;
       Cars[14]->Picture = "E150XLa.gif";
   
       // Create the list of pictures for each car
       pictures0 = gcnew array<String ^>(9);
       pictures0[0] = "335iA.gif"; pictures0[1] = "335iB.gif";
       pictures0[2] = "335iC.gif"; pictures0[3] = "335iD.gif";
       pictures0[4] = "335iE.gif"; pictures0[5] = "335iF.gif";
       pictures0[6] = "335iG.gif"; pictures0[7] = "335iH.gif";
       pictures0[8] = "335iI.gif";
   
       pictures1 = gcnew array<String ^>(6);
       pictures1[0] = "Accord1.gif"; pictures1[1] = "Accord2.gif";
       pictures1[2] = "Accord3.gif"; pictures1[3] = "Accord4.gif";
       pictures1[4] = "Accord5.gif"; pictures1[5] =  "Accord6.gif";
   
       pictures2 = gcnew array<String ^>(4)
       {
           "Avalanche1.gif", "Avalanche2.gif",
           "Avalanche3.gif", "Avalanche4.gif"
       };
   
       pictures4 = gcnew array<String ^>(4)
       {
           "LR3a.gif", "LR3b.gif", "LR3b.gif", "LR3d.gif"
       };
   
       pictures5 = gcnew array<String ^>(4)
       {
           "Civic1.gif", "Civic2.gif", "Civic3.gif", "Civic4.gif"
       };
   
       pictures6 = gcnew array<String ^>(4) 
       {
           "Mazda5a.gif", "Mazda5b.gif", "Mazda5c.gif", "Mazda5d.gif"
       };
   
       pictures10 = gcnew array<String ^>(4)
       {
           "F150a.gif", "F150b.gif", "F150c.gif", "F150d.gif"
       };
   
       pictures11 = gcnew array<String ^>(5) 
       {
           "S40a.gif", "S40b.gif", "S40c.gif", "S40d.gif", "S40e.gif"
       };
   
       pictures13 = gcnew array<String ^>(8)
       {
           "LaCrosse1.gif", "LaCrosse2.gif", "LaCrosse3.gif",
           "LaCrosse4.gif", "LaCrosse5.gif", "LaCrosse6.gif",
           "LaCrosse7.gif", "LaCrosse8.gif"
       };
   
       pictures14 = gcnew array<String ^>(2)
       {
           "E150XLa.gif", "E150XLb.gif"
       };
   
       // Call the Scroll event of the bottom track bar
       // as if it had been scrolled
       tbrReview_Scroll(sender, e);
   }

4. Return to the form and double-click the Close button
5. Implement the event as follows:

   System::Void btnClose_Click(System::Object^  sender, System::EventArgs^  e)
   {
       Close();
   }

6. Execute the application and test the track bar:
    
7. Close the form and return to your programming environment